John Legend Essentials

There's something feline about John Legend. On the effervescent “Green Light,” his supple baritone effortlessly slips into higher registers, while gorgeous R&B-tinged pop classics such as “All of Me” and “Ordinary People” show off a broad range while eschewing unnecessary vocal fireworks. Even when the tracks bark, which they frequently do on his Roots collaborative album, Woke, there's a casual and nearly detached sexiness to how Legend slinks across the song, giving the music a roundness and warmth.